#wildwest - Planet Your Way

Valley of Fire (VoF) SP is located in the state of Nevada and is the perfect introduction to the US’s Wild Wild West! It is very close to Vegas, only a 1-hour drive, small in size that can be easily explored, most of its trails are easy to moderate, and, above all, it has an amazing and really astonishing landscape!

People visit this park either as a day trip from Vegas or as a stop on their way to the wilder parts of the west AKA: Arizona and Utah. If you belong to the former group of people, then I recommend spending a full day at this park and explore its hidden gems; however, if it is only a stop on your way, then a couple of hours will be enough.

VoF has a number of hiking trails, mostly short ones, that take you to various parts of this magnificent desert landscape (click to request map). As I was only in the park for a couple of hours, so I had to choose the most rewarding trails for that short time; hence, I opted for the White Dooms Loop and Elephant Rock Loop. Both of these trails are very accessible via designated parking lots for each and each is approximately 1 mile in length; thus, combined together, they form a nice 2-hour hiking tour, yet it will give a glimpse of why this part of the world is called the Wild West!!

The first loop, the White Dooms Loop, is a 1-mile loop at the north side of the park that will take you through very narrow canyons that barely allow a single person to pass and with astonishing rock colors surrounding you.

The second loop, the Elephant Rock Loop, is located on the east side of the park and is 1.2 miles in length. This loop is the park’s main attraction and the reason why most people visit VoF. It is the area where the rocks are colored in a way that makes them look like waves, yet for the “real wave” visit my Coyote Butte North blog. This area is so mesmerizing and will make you feel that you are swimming in an ocean and that you want to dive into these waves and disappear…so do whatever you like…it’s a free country:)

Bryce Canyon NP

By Mo Ibrahim | March 12, 2021

Bryce Canyon NP

Weird Hoodoo rock formations scattered around a majestic canyon with a magnificent desert backdrop…That’s Bryce Canyon!! It is a fun place to visit as you’ll encounter lots of hoodoo-shaped rocks and hike between them as if you are a king and they are your guard of honor:) So lets start exploration!

Although it is not a huge park in terms of area, Bryce Canyon NP is one of the most well-known NPs in the entire west, so it gets crowded, especially during summer. Despite its popularity in the summer, for me, this park is at its best in the spring, when the warm sun is out, yet, the hoodoos are covered with snow, which is an unbelievable contrast with the reddish desert landscape. Also, in Spring, it is not so crowded so you’ll be able to enjoy its beauty to the max.

Hiking in Bryce Canyon NP is a unique experience. The trails are not tough, but challenging enough, and, in addition to the main trails around the majestic hoodoos, there are some backcountry ones that will take you away from the crowds to an unspoiled nature that will provide you with magnificent panoramic views of the Hoodoos and the main canyon. As I previously mentioned, it is not a big park, but there are a lot of hiking trails and options, so I decided to do two different loops: one with the hoodoos and one in the backcountry:) (click to request map).

The first hiking loop is a famous and popular one as it is in hoodoos country:) In this adventure, I combined the Queen’s Garden trail with the Navajo loop which will take you around almost all the hoodoos in the park:) This loop is 3-mile in length and will take around 2 hours to complete as the trail goes deep into the canyon and steeply up again. The start of the hike is by the canyon’s rim and, being early spring, the snow cover is majestic.

The trail walks along the rim for a bit, then it starts going down into the canyon where the real fun begins:) It is Hoodoo country now, and you’ll be surrounded by these tall majestic formations from all directions.

You’ll continue hiking down the canyon, and with every drop in elevation, the views of the hoodoos change revealing more majestic character to these rock formations…amazing!

The trail then reaches the bottom of the canyon, and at some point, it paths through a tunnel carved in the rocks!

At the bottom, you’ll join the Navajo loop, again Hoodoo country:)

You’ll then hike in the forest for a while after which you’ll start your great ascend up…it’ll be tough!!

For this part, take it slowly as it is steep and a bit long and it shows on my face:)

But, at the top, you’ll be rewarded with more majestic Hoodoos’ views that are well worth the effort!

The second hiking loop took me to the backcountry of this amazing park. In this adventure, I combined the Rim Trail with the Fairyland Loop for a total of 8-mile or approximately 5 hours of hiking. This loop will take you away from the crowds and will enable you to appreciate the beauty of this out-worldly landscape in its full force. It is not a tough trail, but it is long and can be tricky to follow in some parts, yet the rewards are again breathtaking!

These two hikes made my day at this beautiful park a full and memorable one, but of course, if you’ve more time, there are more areas and trails to explore here…so ENJOY:)

Sedona

By Mo Ibrahim | March 6, 2021

Sedona

Sedona, AZ, is one of the adventure hotspots in the wild wild west. The town itself is nice and cute with a number of art galleries and fine dining options around; however, the area surrounding the town is a haven for hiking and mountain biking which draws a multitude of adventurers here. Sedona lies in the middle of red rock country with an abundance of hiking and biking trails that take you to some amazing vistas and magnificent rock formations! This abundance of trails can be overwhelming, so do your research and decide where you want to go and what you want to see, then get yourself a good map (click to request map) and plan your route carefully to get the most out of your time in the area. My advice to you is to combine multiple trails together to form a hiking loop which will allow you to explore multiple places at once…So lets start:)

As I had only one day in the area, I designed 3 hiking routes, by combining trails together, to visit some amazing and iconic places and rock formations and they were all, to a great extent, easy hikes and all having their trailheads along State Route 179.

The 1^st hiking route was designed to visit Cathedral Rock, one of the iconic monuments of the wild west. In order to witness this amazing feature, I combined both the Easy Breezy trail and the Cathedral Rock trail. This route isn’t a loop, instead, it is an in-and-back one. As I mentioned, all THs lie of 179, and from the moment you start driving along this route, you’ll realize the beauty of this red rock country and can’t wait to get out of the car and start exploring. Starting on the Easy Breezy trail, as the name suggests, it is an easy trail and will allow you to explore vast areas of this red rock country. However, you’ll only hike 0.3 miles on this trail and then switch to the Cathedral Rock trail, which is another 0.3 miles trail. Throughout your hike, you’ll be enjoying magnificent panoramic views around you, so don’t go too fast and take your time to admire this beauty.

Before you know it, you’ll arrive at the viewpoint of the Cathedral Rock and it’s a view to behold for this wild west icon.

The 2^nd hiking route was aimed at visiting Courthouse Vista, but to make it more interesting, I designed an extended route and visited Bell Rock along the way. This is a bit of a long route, a total of 5.7 miles, but it is also easy hiking. For this route, you start at the Bell Rock Pathway TH near Oak Creek village and start by taking the Bell Rock Pathway (west) for 1.2mi until you reach the junction with the Bell Rock Loop. At this point, you can make a detour and visit Bell Rock via a 0.2-mile loop, then continue 0.7 miles till you reach Courthouse Vista.

All along these trails you’ll be blessed with beautiful country around you, so why not extend this route and enjoy the area more? And that’s what I did:) After admiring Courthouse Vista, take Llama trail for 1.4 miles, then combine it with Bail trail for 0.4 miles. After that, you’ll take Bell Rock Pathway for 0.5 miles till you reach the section you hiked at the start of this route and hike back to your car for 1.2 miles.

Lastly, the 3^rd hiking route will take you to the most breathtaking rock formation around Sedona…THE DEVIL’S BRIDGE!!

Similar to the 1^st route, this is an in-and-out route with a total length of 4.8 miles. You start by taking the Mescal trail for 1.4 miles, which is a bit tough, but the amazing views around you will make up for it!

The last part of this route will be along the Devil’s Bridge trail for 1.2 miles to the unbelievable naturally-carved rock formation of the Devil’s Bridge!! How nature perfectly carved this bridge is astonishing and will leave you to admire it yourself…SO ENJOY:)

Delicate Arch

By Mo Ibrahim | February 8, 2021

Delicate Arch (Arches NP)

If your dream is to experience the Wild Wild West at its best and venture into its majestic & mysterious landscape, then your destination is Arches NP! If you ever dreamt of visiting the most iconic natural monument of the Wild Wild West, then your destination is, again, Arches NP!

Although this national park is relatively small compared to other parks in the west, exploring this majestic land can take you days in order to marvel at all its beauties. As its name suggests, this NP is full of arches…Natural Arches:) and its home to the most famous of all…THE DELICATE ARCH!!

Exploring this NP is relatively straightforward. First, it is easily accessible as its located at the entrance of the US adventure capital…Moab, UT. Second, it has only one main road from along which you’ll have various trailheads and viewpoints to the different arches (click to request map); however, the main challenge that you’ll face when exploring this majestic NP is to try and see all the arches:)

So how to do it?

When exploring a new place, there are usually two schools of how to do it: 1) save the best for last; or 2) start on a high:) I personally belong to the 1^st school; however, for this NP, I had to go for the 2^nd school and start with the iconic & majestic Delicate Arch! for three reasons: 1) I wanted to start early and beat the crowds, 2) I didn’t want to risk not having enough time to enjoy and marvel at this out-of-this-world beauty, and 3) I honestly couldn’t resist:)

As I said, this NP is full of arches, but honestly, it’ll be unfair to write about them in the same blog as the Delicate Arch and because there are not enough words or pics that can describe what you’ll see in front of you, I’ll dedicate this blog to exploring the Delicate Arch only, and exploring all the other arches will be through another blog post. Another recommendation before embarking on this exploration is to postpone visiting the viewpoint, which can be done by car, till after you visit this icon up close and personal so as not to ruin the surprise… So lets start!

The trail to the Delicate Arch starts at the Wolfe Ranch, but you’ll have to park in the parking lot 1 mile down the road and walk back to the ranch to start. From here, it is a 3-mile (+480ft) hike to the Arch over rocky terrain.

From the moment I reached the ranch and started the hike to the Arch, the adrenaline started pumping in my veins, and with every step forward, I found myself walking faster till I practically ran as I was too eager to be finally able to see this wild west icon. Until suddenly, the Delicate Arch came into view and What a View!!

Still, you are far away and from that distance, you can’t grasp the full scale of its size nor how delicately carved it is! Yet, once I reached the vicinity of this icon, I instantly felt so small, both in size and age:) and started running around from the excitement and disbelief of what I was seeing.

How can nature carve such a fine and delicate rock is beyond me, how can this majestic arch keep standing tall all these years is mind-blowing.

I can’t describe my feelings while I’m in front of this icon, its simply a miracle that is unmatched anywhere on earth. So, it goes without saying, that you’ll spend a lot of time admiring this stunning arch in front of you and it’ll be one of your hardest decisions when you finally decide to head back to your car…SO ENJOY:)

Glen Canyon NRA

By Mo Ibrahim | February 6, 2021

Glen Canyon NRA

When you are in the area around Kanab, UT or Page, AZ, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) might be overlooked for some of the other more famous wild west landmarks in the area; however, for me, this NRA is a must-see, not only if in the area, but in your life!! Although its not much of an adventure to visit the stunning places in Glen Canyon NRA, as it is mostly done via a road trip and short hikes, the bizarre landscape that you can see here is unmatched elsewhere in the wild west.

There are a lot of places to wander around in this area; like Hanging Gardens, Horseshoe Bend, Lone Rock, Buckskin Gulch, and the Toadstools…among others. However, since I was lucky and got the permit for The Wave🙂 I only had half a day to spare in the area so I had time to visit only three of those amazing landscape features; which are: The Toadstools, Lone Rock, and the jewel in the crown:) The Horseshoe Bend, which are all located along US 89 (click to request map).

I started with The Toadstools, as it is the furthest from Page, AZ, and the one that involves the longest hike. The Toadstools is located at MP19 on N89. The length of the hike actually depends on your schedule and how much you want to see in the area, but at least it’ll involve 2 miles each way. The start of the hike feels that you are entering through a door to the wilderness! It involves walking along a narrow canyon until it opens up.

When the trail opens up, you’ll continue your hike along a small creek that breaks the arid desert landscape around it.

Then as you venture deep into the wilderness, there will be locations where you’ll have to cross this creek multiple times to reach your destination, which is pretty fun:).

After hiking for 2 miles, you’ll start to see the bizarre Toadstools themselves which are rock formations that resemble the shape of a chimney! There are a lot of these shapes in the area, so you can venture as deep as you want till you get your fix of them and head back the same way.

The next stop in this NRA is Lone Rock which is located at MP3 on N84. As the name suggests, this is basically a lonely rock in the middle of the reservoir, which looks very intriguing:) You park near the road and hike for half a mile or so till you get to the river banks, but you’ll start getting a glimpse of this lonely rock along the trail and, believe me, you’ll spend some time admiring this view.

Saving the best for last is the Horseshoe Bend!! This is an amazing, one-of-a-kind, earthly feat and is one of the famous wild west landscapes. It is something that you’ll have to see with your own eyes to believe that it exists. Again, the hike from the parking lot is almost 1 mile or so, but you’ll be running along the trail from the anticipation of what awaits you:) & it is this view that awaits you:)

How did mother nature create this amazing natural feature…I really don’t know…It is the perfect bend that you’ll find anywhere. You can try to understand what created this bend as nothing can stop the mighty Colorado River from following its course, or, be more pragmatic, and interpret it as earth standing tall and strong in face of the river! Either way, it is out of this world sight, so ENJOY, ADMIRE & RELAX and take a lot of pics:)

The Wave

By Mo Ibrahim | January 9, 2021

The Wave

Have you ever wondered if the pictures you see as screensavers on your PC, tablet, or phone are real or not? Well…They Are!! And it is a privilege to be able to visit one of these places during your lifetime as, in these places, you’ll truly appreciate the beauty of our planet. I was lucky enough to have this privilege and this blog will be about one of these natural gems…THE WAVE!!

The wave is the unofficial name of this majestic rock formation that is located in the middle of nowhere on the borders between the states of Utah and Arizona, yet the official name of the area where it is located in Coyote Butte North!

This is a wilderness area that is well protected; hence, you won’t find the exact location of The Wave on any map as there are no trails that lead you there, only natural landmarks that you’ve to use to navigate your way till you reach it!! Not only that, but in an effort to preserve this unique landscape from mass tourism, there is a strict permit system in place that only allows a handful of adventurers to visit this stunning rock formation per day; and only if you are lucky to get a permit, these landmarks will be revealed to you by the rangers! So, in an effort to help in preserving this natural beauty, I’ll not reveal, in this blog, how you can reach The Wave, I’ll only explain to you the permit process in an effort to help you plan this adventure of a lifetime; and, of course, I’ll show some pictures that are out of this world:)

There are two ways through which you can get a permit to visit The Wave, and both are based on a lottery format. The first is to apply online on the wilderness area website to get a permit up to four or five months in advance (click to request info) and you’ll enter a draw, and if you win, you’ll be notified. Unfortunately, this permit is in very high demand and your chances of winning are not that high; so, try to be flexible with your dates and apply for a number of dates, and hopefully one of them will win. The second way is to apply in person at the visitor center in Kanab one day prior to your planned date of the adventure as there are few spots reserved for last-minute adventurers…Like me:) When you apply in person, the lottery will be conducted at the visitor center at the same time of the application and you’ll spend 15 nervy minutes hoping that your number comes up:) If you are extremely lucky, then you’ll win a permit for the next day. Of course, the first way is more convenient as you’ll be able to plan your trip in advance; however, as it is easy to apply online, you can expect a large number of applications and a limited chance of winning. On the other hand, although the second way of applying for a permit isn’t the perfect way, in terms of planning, not many people drive all the way to Kanab, UT, without a permit, so you can expect far less competition for the permits; albeit, it is still hard to get.

I personally had to go for the second option as I planned late for that trip but to increase my chances, I chose a date that I expected very few people to be there at the visitor center and apply for the permit, I chose Thanksgiving Day! And guess what…I Was Lucky and won the permit:) I can’t deny it, but winning this lottery almost feels like winning the real one, with money:)

After getting your permit, the ranger will give you a small map and explain to you the landmarks that you’ll follow to reach The Wave, as well as, a permit to carry with you while hiking as rangers are there to check it on your way to this majestic place. Also, remember that your permit is for the next day, so you have a free day in the area, so click here for things to do on that day.

On the next day, your lucky day:), you’ll drive all the way to Wirepass trailhead, park your car and start your adventure from there. My advice to you during this unusual hike is to keep aware of your bearings and be very alert to your surroundings as your map will show you the way to the wave and not back, and believe me, the scenery changes when you head back and you’ll need to be alert to the route you traversed and always check the other direction.

When you set your first sight on the wave, you won’t believe yourself, it is Out-Of-This-World, and the adrenaline will be pumping in your veins and you’ll feel like a kid in a playground:).

What is more amazing about this majestic place is that it reveals a different aspect of its beauty whenever you look at it from a different direction and each view is special! So, take your time, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity…SO ENJOY:)

Grand Canyon NP (All the way to the bottom)

By Mo Ibrahim | January 7, 2021

All the Way to the Bottom

It is a place that needs no introduction! It is a world-famous natural wonder that truly earns all the rave reviews about its majestic and grandeur landscape. It is the Grand Canyon!! This stunning place is perhaps the most recognized landmark of the Wild Wild West. Even if you are not an adventurous person, you have to visit this out-of-the-world place at least once in your lifetime, and it will take your breath away.

I first visited the Grand Canyon NP, in my younger days, in 2008. At the time, I wasn’t the experienced hiker/adventure that I’m today and it didn’t even cross my mind that I can hike down the canyon, all the way to the mighty Colorado river. During that trip, I did a self-driving day trip to witness this stunning place with my own eyes, and it didn’t disappoint. In that trip, I planned a road trip along the south rim’s all viewpoints and had the time of my life, without really doing any adventurous stuff; so that is why I urge you to go visit this place even if you don’t fancy hiking down the canyon.

Fast forward 7 years, and in 2015 after a lot of hiking adventures around the World, I decided that I’m ready to tackle this seemingly impossible feat and hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon and, of course, hike back up:).

When attempting such a difficult hike, preparation, both physically and logistically, is the key to its success, as any mistake might lead to serious injury or even death. So, before getting into the hikes themselves (up & down), I’ll first go through the major planning items that you need to consider before you decide to go down and you can do all On Your Own!

The first thing you need to plan is when to do this hike? There are two options here: summer, which is more popular, and winter. Although the summer heat is the number one killer when hiking up from the river, there are some advantages that come with hiking in the summer. First, there are water sources along the major trails, up and down the canyon, which means that you don’t need to carry all your water from the beginning and can be a lifesaver. Second, the weather at night is warm so no need to carry a heavy sleeping bag or even a tent as you can sleep under the stars. Yet, you have to be aware of the heat, its no joke, and time your hike up perfectly to avoid the hottest hours of the day. On the other hand, in the winter, obviously, heat becomes less of a problem and the hike becomes a bit easier. Also, as it is less popular, it’ll be easier to get the permit to spend the night down. However, there won’t be any water sources along the trails as the supply is shut down, so you have to carry all your water for 2 days with you from the beginning! Also, you’ll need a tent and a heavy sleeping bag as it gets cold at night and this adds to the weight that you are carrying. So, assess your abilities and decide which season is better for you…we did winter:)

After deciding on when to hike, now its time to get your permit. You can’t hike all the way to the Colorado river and back in the same day, its not allowed and rangers along the trails will send you back up. You can’t also camp anywhere along the river as this is a fragile environment and the number of campers allowed per night is limited and controlled by the NP. Hence, you have to get a permit which comes with a camping spot reservation. The process of getting the permit is straightforward, but its in high demand, even in the off-season. Also, you can get this permit neither online nor in advance, so you have to go to the park’s backcountry office the day before your planned hike and get your permit. The permit system is based on first come first served, so you have to go very early to be one of the first people there when the office opens at 8am.

Got your permit! Now its time to plan your supplies. This is a very strenuous and long hike up, so you’ll need plenty of food, water, and drinks to give you energy along the way i.e. both salty and sweet snacks. But remember! You’ll have to carry all this stuff on your back, so, don’t overdo it and pack food that doesn’t take much space. Fruits are also important as they are highly nutritious and gives you a much-needed psychological boost when you are tired. You can find the detailed list of my packing items here (click to request info).

Hopefully, by now you’ve planned everything and ready for this adventure of a lifetime…so lets start:)

There are a number of trails that go all the way to the bottom of the canyon from the South Rim, so study all the trails (their length & slope) and chose yours carefully. Since I did this hike in the winter, the water sources were not a factor in my decision, and I chose to hike down via the South Kaibab Trail and up via the Bright Angel Trail.

I decided to hike down via the South Kaibab Trail as it is the shortest trail which means it is the steepest and will be tough going up; yet, going down, it is an adventurous trail as in many places you’ll be hiking around cliffs with amazing views of the river. The trail is 7 miles with an elevation difference of -1,457m and takes around 4-6 hours to reach the river. On the day of our adventure down, we took the hikers’ express shuttle from the backcountry office at 9am (latest) to the South Kaibab Trailhead. This is a dedicated shuttle bus for backcountry hikers and you’ve to show your permit before you board. Now we are at the trailhead and the adventure will begin…any last thoughts about going through with the hike have to be dealt with here:) Ready!! Take a souvenir pic & go:)

The first part of the trail will take you in a zigzag section through some steps and you’ll lose elevation quickly.

I’ve to admit that with every step, fear starts to creep into you as, unlike mountain hikes, after a certain point, you just can’t turn back and abandon the hike! As you venture deeper into the canyon, more and more amazing views of this stunning landscape unveil themselves to you.

The trail will get steeper and windier after about an hour of hiking, so, be careful with every step you take and always take your time while hiking down.

At this point, you start to realize the grandeur of this canyon and that you are now deep into this wilderness with no people around and you’ll stop thinking about any doubts you previously had as your adrenaline will be pumping and all you care about is reaching the mighty Colorado river. Yet, at this point, you still didn’t see the river! However, the first sight of this mighty river will give you goosebumps and a feeling that can’t be described.

Here, conflicting feelings will creep into you… you are getting closer to your goal, yet you are getting further from your final destination! But keep going…you’re born for this.

Now the trail will get flatter and you’ll keep getting amazing views of the river as you go further down…so, enjoy and abandon your fears.

Finally, you’ll reach the river and the bottom of the Grand Canyon…it is a very surreal feeling and the degree of humbleness that you’ll feel in this grand landscape is beyond belief. When you reach the river, go to your campground and pitch your tent. Now its time to relax and enjoy.

When night falls, you’ll start realizing the extent of the task ahead of you tomorrow to get out of this canyon…its scary, and like it is written on the signs along the trail “going down is optional, up is mandatory!” My advice to you, distract yourself from these thoughts by keeping yourself entertained and have trust in your abilities and planning skills…So have a good night’s sleep and get yourself ready for the big day.

Hopefully, you’ll wake up refreshed, have a good breakfast, and pack your camping gear and get yourself ready. As I mentioned earlier, I took the Bright Angel Trail up as, although it is longer, its less steep and easier to hike up. Also, this is a popular trail for day hikers who hike down to a certain point and back, which means that near the end of the trail, when you are tired, there will be people around and help will be quicker in case you needed it. So, lets start getting out of this wilderness and my advice to you….Take Your Time…and don’t over exhaust yourself at the beginning by being too eager to go up.

The first steps on your way up, the adrenaline will be pumping as you’ll be scared of what lies ahead, but this part is easy and goes along the river.

Then, the trail will turn left, away from the river, and you’ll start your long way up. From this point, its all Up:) but not so steep. Also, this trail has some vegetation around it which is a welcome sight from the desolate desert landscape.

I know in this part, tiredness and doubt will creep into you, but keep going and always keep hydrated and charge your energy by whatever trail mix you packed with you. In the middle of all of this, don’t forget to look back as this is where the amazing views of the canyon are.

Continue going up and take as many rests as you need, but be wary of your timing as you don’t want to hike up in the dark. Also, it will help if you kept your spirits high by singing or doing whatever cheers you:)

Over the last mile, you’ll start meeting the day hikers and they will look at you in awe which will make you realize the extent of the achievement that you just did.

The last part of the trail is a zigzag section and it can be grueling especially that by now you’ll be completely drained. However, at this point, you’ll start seeing the rim above you and the end of this adventure, which will be enough to give the last needed boost to keep going. You are almost there and when you reach the final step up, savor this precious moment, enjoy, and treat yourself to a nice meal:)

Tag: #wildwest

Valley of Fire SP

By Mo Ibrahim | June 13, 2021